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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23335495">Shirtless</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverybodyLovesEggsy/pseuds/EverybodyLovesEggsy'>EverybodyLovesEggsy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, But it doesn't go past kissing, Fluff, Injury, M/M, Not completely compliant, One Shot, Slight underage, and Harry is 16, not like 11 or something</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:00:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,655</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23335495</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverybodyLovesEggsy/pseuds/EverybodyLovesEggsy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Harry sees Severus get injured in a vision and decides to check on the man?</p>
<p>Sorry for the title. I couldn't come up with something better and it's literally where the inspiration came from (see notes inside).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Potter/Severus Snape</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>310</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Shirtless</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I saw this picture and it inspired this story:</p>
<p>https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&amp;id=49630007CC4F91DB5947693DE59A4A6F550A7741&amp;thid=OIP.ZkUXRM3Ub5an-zEs6lIfxAHaE8&amp;mediaurl=http%3A%2F%2Ffc00.deviantart.net%2Ffs70%2Ff%2F2011%2F143%2Fb%2F7%2Fseverus_snape_by_starcrossedscientist-d3h2d2m.jpg&amp;exph=1867&amp;expw=2800&amp;q=shirtless+snape&amp;selectedindex=0&amp;ajaxhist=0&amp;vt=0&amp;ccid=ZkUXRM3U&amp;simid=608004546481227899</p>
<p>Make sure to read the tags because I know my story is a little vanilla compared to the picture (I mean he is holding a riding crop and there is nothing like that in my story so I don't anybody to get disappointed or worried about graphic stuff, which I promise is not in this story for those who don't like that. For those who do... sorry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)</p>
<p>Also, note the line breaks are just a change in perspective.<br/>Enjoy :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Severus winced as he stumbled into his quarters. He dropped the disillusionment charm he had used to get from Hogwarts’ apparition point to his quarters and fell into the couch in his sitting room. Slowed by the trembling in his hands due to the after-effects of the Cruciatus Curse, he peeled his robes off. Severus internally cursed at his usual layers as he struggled to undo all the buttons. He ignored the growing red stain on the white shirt he wore under all his robes and let out a groan of pain as he removed the last of the clothing on his torso. The Potions Master looked down at the long, deep gash running diagonally from just above his navel to a few inches above his hip. He pushed back the memories of the angry Dark Lord he had just escaped and inspected the wound. Luckily, even in his anger, the Dark Lord was methodical enough not to cut too deeply, even if it was only barely skirting the edge of too deep. It was probably the reason that the madman hadn’t used Sectumsempra on him. After all, Severus was still needed as a spy.</p>
<p>The Potions Master closed his eyes and sighed, only just stopping from rubbing his nose and smearing blood on his face. It was because he was a spy that he was currently bleeding on his sofa. The Dark Lord saw fit to punish him when Severus had not given the man information he had been hoping for. Not that the madman usually needed a reason to curse his followers, but Severus knew he was a special case; he usually escaped the wild curse-throwing since he was needed for potions and spying, but the Dark Lord had been in a mood and decided that Severus was at fault for the lack of information that he didn’t have. Not that he would likely tell the man certain information if he had it, in order to help the light.</p>
<p>The Spy sighed again and tiredly summoned the needed healing potions, wishing that he didn’t need to keep toeing the line between the light and the dark. Alas, a spy was needed, and he had filled the role for both sides during the first war. It was only Lily that pushed him to the light all those years ago, and now it was the Dark Lord’s revealed insanity and Lily’s son that kept him there. Shaking off the thought, Severus refocused on his still-bleeding abdomen and frowned at his shaking hands.</p><hr/>
<p>Harry woke up panting and shaking as he always did after a vision. He rubbed at his face until the shaking stopped and grabbed his glasses from his bedside table. The young man changed out of his sweat-soaked pajama shirt and into a fresh long sleeve. Visions of Severus being Crucioed – as well as hit with a few other spells – flashed before his eyes. He was unfortunately used to Voldemort’s anger pulling him into visions, but this was the first one he had seen his Professor be the direct cause to the madman’s rage. He had seen Severus Crucioed before, as all the man’s followers were, but never because Severus had incited Voldemort’s anger. They seemed to be more… reminders to who the Potions Master was spying for whereas this time he had been truly angry at Severus. Not that it was his Professor’s fault considering Harry was fairly sure that Severus hadn’t actually done anything that would anger anybody sane. But Voldemort wasn’t sane, so Severus felt the man’s fury.</p>
<p>Remembering all the different curses Voldemort had fired at Severus, Harry decided to go check to make sure the man was alright. As he left the Gryffindor dormitory, Harry couldn’t help but think how just a year ago, he would never have considered going to visit his Professor. Then again, last year they had been even more hateful towards one another due to their first attempt at Occlumency lessons. It wasn’t until the beginning of the summer, when Harry sent a letter of apology to Severus for looking in the Pensieve, did they become more cordial. He received a reply accepting the apology and questioning the memories Severus had seen of the Dursleys; Harry hadn’t been particularly surprised by the question and it led to a series of letters between the two of them that led to Severus finally seeing beyond his father and eventually apologizing for letting his hate of James Potter transfer to Harry. They began a tentative friendship, slowly becoming closer when they began meeting in secret on the weekends under the guise of Harry gaining detentions. It wasn’t until Severus found out that Harry was struggling to escape Ginny’s unwanted advances did he give Harry the password to his quarters.</p>
<p>Once he reached the portrait to his Professor’s rooms under his invisibility cloak, Harry quietly gave the password and slipped inside. He removed his invisibility cloak and stopped at the sight in front of him. Severus was slumped on the sofa, shirtless. He was lean but sinewy, muscles clearly defined throughout his body. Harry had no clue that Severus had kept that hidden under all those robes. He pushed his attraction – which had been steadily increasing since Severus had admitted to being the Half-blood Prince after warning him away from trying the spells inside – aside when he noticed that Severus was still bleeding sluggishly and struggling to uncork a potion due to the trembling in his hands. Silently, he made his way over to his Professor and knelt in front of him. Harry gently took the purple wound-cleaning potion and uncorked it. Placing a hand on the smooth skin of Severus’s stomach to keep the man still, he carefully poured the potion over the gash. Harry ignored the Potions Master’s hiss of pain as the potion worked and muttered a healing spell that Severus had taught him. He watched as muscle and skin knitted itself back together before muttering a Tergeo to clean away the blood.</p>
<p>Satisfied, he looked up and his green eyes met black. There was an unfathomable look in the black pools, and he found his gaze locked with Severus’s as he became hyper aware of his hand still on the other man’s bare skin.</p><hr/>
<p>Severus hadn’t looked up from trying to open the wound-cleaning potion, knowing it was Harry. He knew the younger man was still getting the occasional vision when the Dark Lord was angry, so wasn’t surprised that the madman’s anger had been high enough to pull at Harry tonight.</p>
<p>The Potions Master did look at Harry when the younger man entered his field of vision and knelt in front of him without a word. He allowed Harry to take the potion from his grasp and watched as the younger man opened the potion with ease. Severus’s breathing hitched slightly – hopefully not enough to notice – when Harry placed a hand on his stomach. Before he could think more about the unexpected, though secretly welcomed, touch, the harsh sting of the potion at work hit him and he hissed in pain. Severus felt light-headed for a second and vaguely recognized that he probably needed a blood-replenishing potion. He refocused on the young man before him and found himself transfixed. He ignored the strange itch of a healing spell at work and studied Harry; the bags under his eyes were a bit more prominent from being woken up in the middle of the night and his hair was even more of a mess than usual. However, Severus found the Gryffindor as attractive as ever. The Potions Master blinked at that realization; since they began writing one another and the Potions Master finally was able to see Harry for Harry, Severus had slowly become more and more fond of the younger man. He hadn’t realized that he was developing feelings for him.</p>
<p>It was then that Harry magically cleaned the blood and looked up at him. Severus became utterly lost in the green eyes in front of him. Yes, he was indeed <em>developing feelings</em>.</p>
<p>He realized Harry’s hand was still on his stomach when the younger man’s thumb moved slightly, caressing just under his navel. Severus took a sharp intake of breath as arousal shot through him. Green eyes darkened and glanced down. Harry licked his lips, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, before bringing his gaze back up to Severus’s. The Potions Master doesn’t know how long they just looked at each other before one of them moved; he has no idea who moved first, but all of a sudden, Harry was leaning forward and Severus bending down until their lips met in the middle. Any thoughts outside of Harry, not that there had been many at that point, left his mind. Lost in the kiss, Severus cupped the back of Harry’s head with one hand and wrapped the other around the younger man’s back. He gasped softly when he felt the hand on his stomach move to his side and the other attaching itself to his other side; Harry’s tongue quickly took advantage and began mapping out his mouth.</p>
<p>They were interrupted when Severus’s body shuddered again, and not from lust. He broke the kiss, panting slightly. The older man couldn’t help but feel a little smug when he saw that Harry was in much the same state. He reluctantly removed his hands from the younger man, who he was acutely aware didn’t do the same, and summoned an anti-Cruciatus and, as an after-thought, a blood-replenishing potion. Seeing his hands were still trembling rather badly – probably worsened by blood-loss – he held them out to Harry. The younger man’s lips quirked slightly before he removed his hand from Severus and took the potions. Once they were uncorked, Severus carefully took them back and swallowed them, ignoring the flavor through long practice. He looked back at Harry, who was now leaning back against his heels, hands gripping his knees.</p>
<p>Harry tilted his head slightly and hesitantly asked, “So, ah, what did that mean to you?”</p>
<p>“Really, Harry? You’re going with the most cliché question?”, Severus raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Well it’s just, um”, Harry’s gaze flitted down to his torso, making Severus hyper aware of his half-clothed state, “I’d like to do it again.”</p>
<p>The Potions Master felt his heart jump in hope at that but pushed it aside, “Why?”</p>
<p>“You mean other than the fact that you’re bloody gorgeous and an amazing kisser?”</p>
<p>Severus ignored the heat in his cheeks, knowing he was blushing, and nodded. He knew how he looked so didn’t see what Harry thought was gorgeous. He also knew that it was partially because of his looks that any relationships he had in the past were purely physical. While usually he had no problems with that, he didn’t think he could stand that type of relationship with Harry; not when he had just realized how he felt about the other man.</p><hr/>
<p>Harry had been <em>thoroughly</em> enjoying kissing Severus. Every part of him was completely attuned to the older man, who he was finally, <em>finally</em>, kissing. It was because of this that when he felt Severus shudder, he recognized it for the after-effects of the Cruciatus that it was; it was too violent to be anything else. So, he let Severus pull away and blinked, trying to get his breathing back under control.</p>
<p>He felt Severus remove his hands but couldn’t force himself to do the same. Until Severus held the potions out to him to open, anyways. Slightly amused, Harry opened to vials with out question and handed them back. He leaned back against his heels and placed his hands on his knees to stop himself from returning them to their previous positions. Once Severus had downed the potions, Harry saw a little color returning to the man as the trembling stopped. Relieved, he tilted his head slightly in consideration for a second, before deciding to just ask.</p>
<p>“So, ah, what did that mean to you?”</p>
<p>He really should have expected the raised eyebrow he got in return, “Really, Harry? You’re going with the most cliché question?”</p>
<p>“Well it’s just, um”, Harry was unable to stop himself from looking at Severus’s bared torso again, and admitted, “I’d like to do it again.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“You mean other than the fact that you’re bloody gorgeous and an amazing kisser?” he asked with his own raised eyebrow.</p>
<p>He watched a pink dusting appear on Severus’s cheeks and thought the man looked even more delectable. The older man nodded but it was obvious to him that Severus didn’t believe him.</p>
<p>Harry frowned, hoping to stop whatever degrading thoughts were going through the other man’s head, “Stop it, Severus. I mean it when I say that you are gorgeous. I like the sharp features and long nose just as much as the extremely toned body that you have been hiding under you robes.” Severus said nothing, but the blush became a little darker and Harry loved it. He realized he hadn’t yet answered Severus’s question and hesitated slightly, worried over his Professor’s reaction, “As for why, I, um, like you.”</p>
<p><em>Eloquent, Harry</em>, the younger man berated himself as Severus raised an eyebrow at him again. Before the other man could say anything, he continued, “What I mean to say it that I’d like to date you.”</p>
<p>He watched Severus blink at him, obviously surprised. Harry was amused that he had turned Severus speechless, even as he began to get nervous at the lack of response. After all, who would want to date him? Not the boy-who-lived, but <em>Harry</em>. Severus was the only one who truly saw him for him; even Ron and Hermione only saw parts of the real him.</p>
<p>Before he could begin to berate himself for ruining his friendship with Severus, the Potions Master shook himself out of his shock.</p>
<p>“What could you possibly see in me that makes you want to date me?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I dunno, maybe your intelligence, your dry but rather amusing sense of humor, your bravery for continuing to spy,” Harry trailed off and saw the look of doubt on the other man’s face and sighed, “Look, Severus, we have both apologized for our not-so-friendly behavior and put it in the past. I like you, not Professor Snape, not the spy for the light, not even the Half-blood Prince that I read about in the book. I like you for you – the person I’ve gotten to know over the past few months. Occasional grudge-holding included. So, if you are open to it, I’d like for us to try this. In secret until Voldie is defeated, obviously, but an actual date in public will be something to look forward to until then.”</p><hr/>
<p>Severus had been absolutely in shock when Harry said that he wanted to date him. He hadn’t thought anyone would want to, so had asked what Harry saw in him once he was able to form the words. Then the younger man began listing off the good qualities that Harry saw in him and before he could form any real doubts, told him that he liked the <em>real</em> him. Not the masks he has put up. Harry had been able to put their past aside to see the person underneath. The person he rarely got to truly be, though he had opened up some after he and Harry had become closer. Knowing that, the decision was easy.</p>
<p>The Potions Master looked at Harry, green eyes warring with hope and fear, “We do nothing beyond kissing until you are of age.”</p>
<p>“Alright”, the hope in the green eyes won out as Harry slowly smiled at him, “Does that mean–”</p>
<p>Severus surged forward and cut him off with a kiss. Barely pulling away, he quietly said, “Yes.”</p>
<p>Harry beamed at him and passionately kissed back. <em>Perhaps things wouldn’t be so bad anymore</em>, Severus thought, before loosing himself in the kiss once again.</p>
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